An autonomously driving BMW iX is said to have caused a fatal accident in Germany. The car collided with oncoming traffic on a federal highway, causing a chain reaction. One dead and nine were seriously injured.
The BMW was an experimental vehicle designed to test technology that enables autonomous driving. A police spokesman said whether the 43-year-old driver was driving him or not is the subject of the investigation and is unknown at this time. The cause of the accident is still unclear.
Four cars involved
On Monday afternoon, the 43-year-old was driving the autonomous e-test vehicle near Römerstein (Reutlingen district, in the state of Baden-Württemberg). In a bend, the car ended up in the oncoming lane for unknown reasons and grazed an oncoming vehicle. The 70-year-old driver then collided head-on with the car of a 32-year-old. The man’s car veered off the road and immediately caught fire. In the further course, the E-test car also collided head on with another car. The 32-year-old driver of the car was fatally injured by the violent impact.
In the car of the 43-year-old, according to the police, were two men aged 31 and 47, a 42-year-old and a child of one and a half. They were seriously injured, as were the other drivers and two passengers in two of the other vehicles involved. The Tübingen traffic police have launched an investigation together with an expert.
Autonomous driving is seen as a technology of the future that should make road traffic safer. BMW is also developing this technology and has a fleet of test vehicles in use that can be recognized as such by stickers.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
